There’s something a little intense about this lunar eclipse and its capacity to dredge up submerged and embedded feelings from within your psyche. We know that the emotional landscape is an environment you know well, as your life path is so often imbued with impassioned experiences. This can be a moment of release and surrender of many fears, attachments, or even mutually held possessions. It can incite a deeper awareness of mortality, and the true, ephemeral nature of life. There’s a deepening bond opening up for you, and opportunities to express immense vulnerability. At the heart of this lies the notion that you’re getting more in touch with yourself, but it’s just as possible that close family or a domestic partner can assist you in opening up and staring into this darkness head on. What you find there, actually, is not darkness at all, but a place that’s merely been rejected for far too long. Navigate this eclipse, ultimately, through your heart. It can help you see farther than the mind could possibly imagine. You’re being led now to more self-sufficiency, and any dependencies that are dissipating are assisting you in this direction.

The Sun and Mars are still moving through Leo, which has you extending a lot of energy into matters pertaining to finances, resources, and self-confidence. Naturally, that pulls you more into your head while you plot, assess, and attempt to make rational sense of your current situation. This lunar eclipse in Aquarius seeks to momentarily pull you out of this present process, to reflect and more deeply assess your feelings as opposed to what you’re trying to do about it. It can also change the tides on a mutually held financial situation, generating an acceleration of circumstances or a change in its current direction. As always with eclipses, there’s a heightened emotional intensity, as well as a process of reflecting into the past. It’s possible that what you’re presently faced with has been going on for some time, and this is a moment that works to release pent up energy and stagnant feelings. With Jupiter in Libra sending a trine to this lunar eclipse, there is a supportive gesture or offering arising from your domestic roots should you choose to receive it. Any current financial difficulties or dilemmas will find some resolution, or at least give you space to breathe and relax toward of the end of Aug and the early part of Sept. Consider that you only have to fight your way just a little bit further.

Mercury retrograde begins on Aug 12 and will last until Sep 4. The days surrounding Sept 4-5 can be a significant turning point for your financial situation. It could represent the culmination and transition in a long chapter that you’ve been dealing with and the start of a new era. With Mercury retrograde in Virgo for three weeks, keep your mind open and receptive to incoming news and information. While you can expect all of the usual techno/mechanical issues, setbacks, delays, and transient frustrations, this retrograde cycle can help you gain a new perspective or a more informed opinion on several matters. The challenge is to not force any issues, and instead move through your daily life in the spirit of openness. You might just stumble upon some valuable information, or come across a random conversation that gifts you the education you now require. If your life has been busy and fast paced, expect a slowing down to occur so that you can take your time and notice any information you’re missing. If the opposite is true, expect a possible increase in the pace of your daily life. Perhaps even a short trip could open your eyes.

The days surrounding Aug 15 can represent some considerable challenges in your relationships. Pluto has been moving through Capricorn since 2008, slowly corroding away weak, toxic, or unstable relational bonds, replacing them with more authentic connections. With Venus now moving through Cancer, expect some possible challenges to crop up, requiring that you face any issues you’ve been avoiding. While your response may be to take a more passive role, or even attempt to kill criticisms with kindness, you’ll need to actually deal with these challenges head on. What emerges now could be threatening to your personal security or even self-image, but try to see that all relationships often reflect critical issues that lie deep within you. Don’t play the blame game or give into patterns of avoidance; look to your closest partners honestly and humbly. This is a good time to make an authentic connection and attempt to see eye to eye. If you can do that, you’ll not only deepen your trust, but help to build a more stable and sustainable foundation for future love and support.